Forum and website launch successful
August 5th, 2008 by admin
Forum on Academic Freedom and Website Launch
Tuesday 5 August, 12:30-2pm
Public Lecture Theatre, Old Arts, Melbourne University
In late 2007, Dr Paul Mees, a high profile academic at the University of Melbourne, was informed that he had been found guilty of misconduct and was to have his salary cut by $10,000.
What was his crime? He, in a public forum, had accused the head of the Public Transport system in Victoria of being corrupt. Paul Mees has since left the University of Melbourne and now works at RMIT. He is returning to the University to have his say.
UPDATE
Over 50 university staff and students came to the academic freedom forum to see the launch of the new NTEU campaign website, and to hear from Prof. Robert Pascoe and Dr Paul Mees.
Photos from the event
Please contact us if you would like copies of any photos.
What do you think? Have your say be clicking on the “comment” link below.
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August 7th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Following on from the Academic Freedom Forum, the next meeting of the Arts Discussion Forum will be looking at the proposed journal rankings scheme. This may look like one of those ’oh no, I’m too busy to worry about that’ issues. However, as Frederik Vervaet of the School of Historical Studies will be arguing in his presentation, this is an issue likely to have a serious impact on us in a number of ways – including academic freedom. Frederik was at Ghent University in Belgium when the European journal ranking system was introduced, so he knows what he is talking about.
The forum will be held in the Upstairs Seminar Room at the Australian Centre, 149 Barry St at 1pm on Tuesday August 12. Please advise Graham Willett on gwillett@unimelb.edu.au if you are planning to attend (for seating numbers).
The Arts Discussion Forum is an informal gathering of Arts academic and professional staff from across the Schools who are meeting on a regular basis to share information about, and experiences of, working life at the uni during this period of change and transition. If you would like to be on the mailing list for information about the meetings, please let Graham Willett know.
August 7th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Unfortunately the circumstances surrounding DR Paul Mees’s leaving the University of Melbourne really bring into focus a threat that despite any claim the University or its Vice Chancellor may make about the need to be defend academic freedom by exercising it - academics at Melbourne will probably think twice about exercising any academic freedom.
Despite the review in the end dropping the case against Paul because of a technicality - the implication is that University might in future persecute staff who criticise or who whistleblow on issues of corruption perhaps especially if it concerns government. I hope I am wrong and I believe the NTEU needs to promote the opposite of what this case might leave the impression of for staff who go public.
It appears the University pursued Paul even though the Vice Chancellor had at an NTEU forum just made the lovely sounding pronouncement that the defense of academic freedom is achieved by exercising it.
We need to promote more exercising of academic freedom, we need to avoid the lazy administration cop out of not defending our staff in the face of supposed or assumed consequences of a criticism of government.
Easy to say i know and congratulations to Paul and otehrs for continuing to exercise.
August 8th, 2008 at 9:31 am
IT is interesting to note that while the University department was investigating Paul Mees and trawling through his history to build a case against him the same department was negotiating with the public transport authority for a major research contract!
The same public transport authority that wrote the letter asking for paul’s comments to be taken down from the web-site.
December 11th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Did you ever think anything like this would be straight forward. You should know how these things work, it’s all about self preservation. The departments are out for themselves.
Academic freedom won’t be achieved while departments have their own agendas.